MAY 2005

19^th AVE PARK NEWSLETTER

Website: http://www.19thavepark.com

Our Next meeting:

Date:    Thursday, MAY 12, 2005

Time:   7:30 PM

Place:   Marriott Hotel (meeting room, refreshments and parking courtesy of the Marriott Hotel).  Thank you Marriott Hotel!

Our first guest speaker will be Mr. Sam Johnson Jr., Superintendent San Mateo Union High School District. Any of our 19^th Ave Park residents, who have children nearing the age of high school, should attend our meeting to hear about the new things happening in our high schools. Mr. Johnson will review the outlook for the coming school year and he will discuss a 7^th period for high school students. He will also discuss which high school may be the best for your child! Join us and bring your questions to the meeting. We will also have Chris Meany, from the Bay Meadows Land Company, make a quick presentation on the development of the Bay Meadows Racetrack. They will present their proposal for the 83 acres. The Planning Commission is currently hearing this project.

Street Sweeping and Recycling Schedule: MAY 2005:

Street Sweeping will be on Mondays, MAY 2nd and 16th and Wednesdays, MAY. 4^th and the 18^th. Sweepers will be around between 9-11 AM remember to move your vehicle and avoid getting a traffic ticket.  Recycling by BFI will be on Wednesdays, MAY 11th^, and MAY 25^th. Please recycle all your newspapers, cans, plastics, styrofoam products, glass and cardboard paper. Don’t forget your garden clippings too!

Eichler Network - P. O. Box 22635 San Francisco, CA 94122

The Eichler Network is a newsletter-magazine that is published quarterly and is dedicated to Eichler Homes throughout the Bay Area. If you live in an Eichler Home the magazine is free of charge and it is a good reference for items related to Eichler Homes Everyone should have just received the latest edition of the Ecihler Network. In their Spring Issue, they have a great article on Eichler paneling: love it, paint it, or tear it out?  Check them out on their web site for other feature articles.  www.eichlernetwork.com

BFI Waste Services

You should have just received your BFI bill and you should check the fees that have been charged to you. If you use only one 32-gallon garbage can, your bill should be $49.21 for three months. If you are paying more than that, contact BFI and have your statement adjusted. Two 32-gallon cans would cost $90.45 for three months. We have complained to BFI that their statement does not show the number of garbage cans that are being charged to a specific resident. BFI will correct it in the Fall 2005. Please note that you are also being charged for Street Sweeping. So make sure that the street sweeper has a clear path to the curb on street sweeping days.

KENMARK PROJECT PUBLIC AMENITY SIDEWALK WORK HAS STARTED

Kenmark has started their work on the sidewalk public improvements. The project is expected to take 8 to 10 weeks to complete. This is the public amenity that Kenmark has offered the City, when their office-building project was delayed. We should see a new wider sidewalk on Concar from Delaware (Shell Gas Station) to the Hayward Train Station. Included in this project will be the same type of lampposts that run along our fence on Concar and new landscaping.

Spring is here and the Ivy is growing!

Residents, if your backyard faces the new fence on Concar Drive or on Delaware Drive, please check and see if the ivy is coming through. If it is, please cut it back. Don’t let the ivy destroy the fence. There are good garden chemicals out there that you can use, which are safe for you and the good plants. Be a good neighbor and trim the ivy back.

Dog Walkers

Here is a reminder to some of our residents in 19^th Ave Park. When walking your dog, there is a leash law in San Mateo, which requires that all dogs are to be on a leash at all times! Be a good neighbor when walking your dog, and please don’t forget to pick up the dog’s mess as well.

Need a Lift?

Home pickup is available for residents of the City of San Mateo, to and from the Senior Center on Alameda de las Pulgas - 50 cents each way.  On Wednesdays there is a regular luncheon at noon for $5.50. Come play Bingo and eat lunch.  On Thursdays there is a hotdog lunch for only $1.50. Go have lunch and watch a movie! Call the Senior Center at 522-7490 to arrange a ride. The cost is only $.50 each way or $1 round trip. Such a deal!

Senior Social Dancing featuring the Waldo Carter Band (Every 2^nd and 4^th Wednesday) 7:30 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Bring a partner or meet one there. Social dancing at it’s finest. Cost is only $5.00 per person. No pre-registration required. Join in the fun at the San Mateo Senior Center... 522-7490.. Many other programs are available at the Center. There should be no reason to just stay at home.

The May “Forum at Redwood City” will help San Mateans in our consideration of the Transit Corridor and the Bay Meadows 2 Development Plans. At this Forum (6:00 to 8:00 PM at the Little Fox Theater) a panel of four experienced rail transit people, including Rod Diridon, Director Minolta Transportation Institute, Bob Doty SamTrans Director of Rail Transportation will conduct a forum on “The Implications of High Speed Rail and Caltrain for the Peninsula and its Historic Downtowns”. Doors open at 5:30, the cost is $10.00 per person. For more details call Dan Zack at 650-780-7363 or see http://www.redwoodcity.org/misc/morehottopics.forum.html

SMUHA-Marshall Loring

Shaunn Mendrin, City Planner, told us of the status of the work to improve and streamline the Single-Family (R-1) Design Guidelines and Design Process and related Zoning Codes. These guidelines were put in place a few years ago to provide protection against “Monster Homes” and other changes to existing property that threatened the nature of our City’s neighborhoods. There have been some difficulties and shortcomings identified in the Guidelines and the implementation process. Improvements are being formulated to make the process as or more effective while streamlining the process. This provides our neighborhood an opportunity to make sure that means to preserve the unique character of our Eichler neighborhood while allowing reasonable alterations toe be made. There will be further discussions and at least one June Planning Commission Study session before the changes are adopted formally later this year. Our Association should prepare a presentation on this subject. If you have additional comments or questions regarding this, contact Shaunn at (650) 522-7215 or email at smendrin@cityofsanmateo.org

Important upcoming City Council Meeting---JUNE 6

On June 6^th the City Council will hold a study session on City Staff’s proposal that property owners be ENTIRELY responsible for the maintenance of sidewalks in front of their property and at the June 6^th regular meeting: the City Council will hold a Public Hearing and may vote on adoption on the EIR for the San Mateo Rail Corridor Transit Oriented Development Plan. If you have any concerns, you should plan to attend the City Council meeting on June 6^th.

In May there will be two Asian Heritage Spotlight Programs at the Main San Mateo Public Library. Saturday, May7th, starting at 1 p.m., Taiko Drummers, Traditional Japanese Dancers, Japanese Storycard Theater, and Traditional Musicians will perform. RSVP by Wednesday, May 4^th, seating is limited. Call 522-7802  Saturday, May 21^st, starting at 12:30 p.m., the program will include Martial Art demonstrations and traditional dance performances. RSVP by Wednesday, May 18^th, seating is limited, call 522-7802.

SAVE THE DATE for our June 9^th, homeowner’s meeting. We will have two outstanding speakers who will be of great interest to all our 19^th Ave Park residents. Fire Captain Chris Cilia, from the San Mateo Fire Department will have a presentation on Fire Safety. The purpose of this program is to provide free smoke alarms to those in need in our community. On the same night we will have Detective Mike Kloss, from the San Mateo Police Department, make a presentation on Identity Theft. Do not miss this meeting if you have any concerns about ID Theft of your personal information. We will also have some door prizes for this meeting. Join us this information can save your life!

19^th Ave Park Homeowner’s Membership Dues for 2005

It is time to renew your membership in 19^th Ave Park for the year 2005. 19^th Ave Park HOA depends on member dues to support its functions throughout the year and 19^th Ave Park dues are a bargain- still only $12 a year per household! The membership fee covers costs for printing our newsletter and incidental expenses of running the association. Members receive monthly newsletters keeping them up-to-date on important events in the neighborhood and our community. We have a general meeting at the Marriott Hotel the Second Thursday of each month at 7:30 p.m. 19^th Ave Park represents residents on important issues that come before the City Council, and sponsors speakers of interest at our meetings.  Please join our neighborhood association and make your voice heard!

Henry Friedlander, 19^th Ave Park Newsletter Editor—We welcome articles and your suggestions!